Apple's 116-degree iPad is no big deal, Consumer Reports says

A thermal image of the newly released iPad shows it running substantially hotter than the older iPad 2. Higher temperatures show as reds and oranges that shade to bright white. (Consumer Reports)

Thermal images of the iPad 2 show it running cooler than the new iPad, which hit 116 degrees Fahrenheit in independent testing. Higher temperatures show as reds and oranges that shade to bright white. (Consumer Reports)

CUPERTINO, Calif. – It's a 180-degree turn on the 116-degree iPad.

After getting worked up in mid-March about whether Apple's newest iPad get too hot during intense gameplaying sessions, Consumer Reports said further testing showed the issue is not that big a deal after all.

"Responding to consumer comments on the new device, and to coverage from other reviewers, we also carried out further tests that confirmed the new iPad is warmer in its hottest spots than the iPad 2," the magazine said Monday. "But we didn't find those temperatures to be cause for concern."

Indeed, the magazine has done a complete 180 and now says the new iPad is tops among tablets.

Apple's latest iPad can hit temperatures as high as 116 degrees Fahrenheit while playing action games, Consumer Reports said March 20 -- far hotter than earlier versions of the industry leading tablet.

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Using a thermal imaging camera, engineers with the consumer watchdog group recorded the soaring temperatures as on both the front and rear of the new iPad while playing the graphics intensive game Infinity Blade II. These temperatures were much warmer than the iPad 2, said Donna L. Tapellini, an analyst with Consumer Reports.

"In the past, we've tested the heat from laptops. When those hit 120 degrees, we found that could cause problems when exposed to bare skin,” Tapellini told FoxNews.com.

Modern video games tend to push the processor and graphics chips to work their hardest, which led to the extreme temperatures. At those temperatures, the iPad felt very warm, but not uncomfortable, Tapellini said.

"If you feel uncomfortable using it, if it’s getting too hot to handle, put it down on the table -- or stop playing the game for a while," she suggested.

Apple's website says that temperature warning screens will appear with the message "iPad needs to cool down before you can use it," if the iPad runs past its own limits, something Tapellini said she did not observe. The company maintains that the new iPad operates within acceptable limits.

Newscore contributed to this report.